PHILADELPHIA — Kyle Palmieri and Mathew Barzal scored for the New York Islanders, who beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 on Monday in their first game since the high-profile acquisition of Bo Horvat.
Horvat made his debut for the Islanders the day after he announced he had signed an eight-year contract worth a total of $68 million.
The 27-year-old center was chosen to represent the Pacific Division at the NHL All-Star Game on Saturday.
Horvat, who was used for 19:08 against the Flyers, has already matched his career high in goals, having produced 31 goals in 49 games with the Vancouver Canucks before the trade.
The Isles (26-22-5) are trying to get back into the playoff picture. They have won their last three games, joining the Pittsburgh Penguins for eighth in the East.
“(Adding Horvat) gives us more options on offense, for sure,” agreed head coach Lane Lambert. “We know what we have to do collectively. We have to line up victories, and that’s what we devote our energies to. ”
Horvat didn’t put his name on the scoresheet in his New York debut.
Palmieri hit the target on the power play, ending an Islanders 0-for-26 drought. Barzal then beat Carter Hart for his 13th goal of the campaign, making it 2-0.
Noah Dobson picked up his 100th point in the Bettman homer when he assisted on Barzal’s goal.
Semyon Varlamov made 25 saves against the Flyers (21-22-9). Only Quebecer Nicolas Deslauriers beat him, for his third goal of the campaign.
Beauvillier was not so lucky
Sent to the Vancouver Canucks in a trade involving Bo Horvat last week, Anthony Beauvillier suffered a 5-4 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils.
A penalty imposed on Andrei Kuzmenko with 1:19 left in overtime allowed the Devils to unleash their massive attack, and it was ultimately Jesper Bratt who ended the debate.
On the sequence, Jack Hughes collected his third point of the game, he who also scored two goals, his 34th and 35th of the season.
Previously at three against three, the young prodigy of the Devils had come close to concluding his evening with a hat trick, bringing himself to a breakaway in front of Colin Delia after a shot from Beauvillier had given against the bay window.
Vitek Vanecek had 26 saves in New Jersey’s win. At the other end of the rink, Delia faced 34 shots.
The Canucks (20-26-4) can still boast of having reacted well to a terrible 50-second stretch during which the Devils (33-13-4) scored three goals to take a 4-1 lead.
It was the third fastest interval in Devils history for three straight goals.
Goals from support staff Luke Schenn, Curtis Lazar – his 1st in 31 games – and Philip DiGuiseppe got Vancouver back into the game and forced overtime.
The Islanders will play again on Tuesday night at home against Seattle. The Flyers’ next game is Thursday night at home against the Edmonton Oilers.
Victory for Benn’s 1000th
Jason Robertson and Tyler Seguin threaded the needle in the shootout, giving the Dallas Stars a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks.
It was not easy, but the Stars marked with a victory the 1000th meeting in the NHL of their captain Jamie Benn.
Nils Lundkivst and Roope Hintz scored against John Gibson in regulation time as Dallas (29-13-10) snapped a three-game losing streak, all in overtime.
Leading 2-0 midway through the third period, the hosts saw Jakob Silfverberg and Adam Henrique score 1:26 apart to reset the scoreboard.
Jake Oettinger, who repelled 32 shots in the win, stopped Trevor Zegras and Henrique in the shootout. Rookie Mason McTavish scored at his expense.
Selected in the 5th round of the 2007 draft by the Stars, Benn, who is 33 years old, totals 813 points in the NHL, including 348 goals.
Chychrun helps her worth
Jakob Chychrun scored twice to lead the Arizona Coyotes to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild.
The defender, whose name is circulating in numerous trade rumours, tied the power play midway through the middle period. He thus replied to the goal of Kirill Kaprizov who scored a 28e goal this season.
Jonas Brodin put the Wild in front early in the third period, but again, midway through the engagement, Chychrun acted up. His shot got the better of Marc-André Fleury to level the score.
Just under five minutes later, Jack McBain gave the Coyotes the lead for the first time in the game and they held on. Karel Vejmelka finished his night with 33 saves just like Fleury.
